Pump



A. HERPST.

PUMP.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 21, I919.

Patented Jan. 13', 1920;

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

FIG. 1

H. A. HERPST.

PUMP.

APPLICATION FILED -OCT. 21. I919.

Patented J an. 13, 1920.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

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H. A. HERPST.

PUMP.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 21, I919.

Patented Jah.13,1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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HERMAN AUGUST HERPST, OF NORWAY, MICHIGAN.

PUMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 21, 1919. Serial No. 332,164.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAN AUGUST HERPsT, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Norway, in the county of Dickinson and State of Michi an, have invented certain new and useful niprovements in Pumps, of which the following is a specification.

The primary object of the present invention is the provision of a pump especially adaptedfor use in mines, being inexpensive to install as well as to operate, the apparatus being unaffected by flooding or small deposits of foreign matter contained in the. water. I

A further object of the invention is to provide a pump in the nature of a pneumatic lift whereby a flooded mine may be inexpensively de-watered, large quantities of water being readily elevated to the surface from any depth in the mine, a step-bystep operation being provided for great depths. e

A still further object of the invention isthe provision of an economical pneumatic pump whereby a large and substantially continuous flow of water is effected, only slight power for shiftin the valves being necessary aside from t e compressed air supply.

With these general objects in view and others that will become apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood,

the same consists in the novel construction,

combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings forming a part of thi application and in which like designating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure l is a vertical sectional view through a portion of the invention located adjacent the mouth of the mine at the surface of the earth,

Fig. 2 is a continuation of Fig. 1, showing the lower portion of the apparatus extending to a point adjacent the bottom of the mine, 7

Figs. 3 and 4. illustrate-the air controlling valve mechanism,

My invention while serviceable for elevating water wherever desired is especially designed for employment in mines an the drawings illustrate the pump positioned for operation in a mine, 10 indicating the ground level while 11 and 12 are lower levels, each provided with a unit of the pumping system, a sump 13 adjacent the bottom 14 of the mine or shaft adapted to receive water drained from the mine and from which sump my pump lifts the water to the mouth of the mine.

A water tank 15 is provided at each of the pumping stations at the successive levels lland 12 of the mine'with a compressed air reservoir 16 adjacent each tank. An up- .right pipe 17 with a head 18 at its lower end is adapted to conduct water from the sump 13-to the tank at the lower level 12 by a Patented Jan.13, 1920.

connecting pipe 19. A strainer 20 depends from the open lower end of the head 18 while a compressed air pipe 21 leads from the reservoir 16 of the lower level 12 through the pipe 17 and into the head 18 for supplying compressed air to said head, whereby the water in the sump 13 will rise with the ascending air in the pipe 17 to flow through the pipe 19 into the lower tank 15. A U-shaped loop 22 of water pipe forming a holder for a quantity of water is -n1ounted adjacent the lower level' 12 with one arm 23 of the 100 connected at its upper free end to the adjacent air reservoir 16 by an air pipe 24. The other arm or side of the loop 22 constitutes an upright discharge pipe 25 for the water leading to a point adjacent the tank 15 of the next higher level 11 and connected to the tank by a lateral pipe 26 at the upper end of the pipe 25. The pipe 25 at a point adjacent the loop 22 communicates with the lower water tankll by a pipe 27 having a strainer end 28 within the lower tank 15.

A three-way valve 29 is provided in the air pipe 24 above theloop 22 while a valve 30 in the pipe 27 permits the water from the lower tank 15 to flow only outwardly into the adjacent loop 22. A valve v31 in'the pipe 25 above the point of connection with the pipe 27 permits water to ascend in the pipe 25 but prevents the water from returning downwardly into the loop A manually operated valve 32 is provided in theair pipe 21 and a similar valve 33 in the air pipe 24. .The plant or pumping I mechanism of the system located at the lower level 12 having been described, it is noted that a similar unit or plant is provided at the upper level 11 which may be forty or vided at different levels as may be required for elevating the water to the desired height. A loop 22 at the upper level 11 has its up right arm 23 connected by a pipe 24 to the upper air reservoir 16 while a manually controlled "valve 33 aswell as a three-way valve 29 are provided in said pipe 24. An air supply pipe 34 from any suit-able source of supply at the surface of the m1ne leads downwardly to itspoint of connection 35 with the upper extension 36 of the air pipe 21, the said extension entering the top of the lower reservoir 16.

ters the top of the upper reservoir 16 for furnishing the same with the compressed air.

The loop 22 has a lateral 27 leading into the upper tank 15 and having a strainer 28' upon its inner end. Flap valves 30 and 31 in the pipes 27 and the upright arm 25 of the loop 22 respectively prevent the return flow of the water while the arm 25 constitutes the outlet for the water extend ing to the earth surface 10 with a conveyingpipe 38 leading toany desired outlet point.

' Blow-off plugs 39 are provided in each of the loops 22 and 22". Levers 40 and 41 are provided for operating the valves 29" and 29 respectively and an adjustable weight 42 upon each of said levers serves to automatically lower the corresponding ends of said levers for the simultaneous operation of the valves 29 and 29 in one position. A pull-cord 43 connected to the weighted ends of the levers 40 and 41 passes over a pulley 44 at the mouth of the mine with the free end of the cord 43 attached as at 45 to a revolving wheel or crank 46. Upon turning the wheel 46, the cord 43 will be alternately pulled upwardly for placing the valve levers 40 and 41 in one position and released for permitting the weights 42 to automatically return the said levers to their other positions. An overflow pipe 47 is connected adjacent the top of the tank 15 at'the upper level 11 and enters the water tank at the lower level 12 while a similar overflow pipe 48 leads from adjacent the top of the lower tank 15 to the sump 13.

The air pressure in the pipe 34 constantly maintains compressed air pressure in the reservoir 16 as well as a constantoutfiowi-ng of water from the sump 13 through the pipe 17 into the tank 15 of the lower level 12.

The water from the lower tank 15 flows through the pipe 27 filling the loop 22, it

being understood that the three-way valve '29 being in corresponding position with the air pipe 24 closed and the exhaust port 50 of the valve 29' open, the water from the tank 15 of the upper level 11 enters and fills the adjacent loop 22 through the pipe 27 The subsequent turning, of the wheel 46 releases the cord 43, permitting the weights 42 to shift the levers 40 and 41 to their opposite extremes thereby opening the supply of compressed an to the arms 23 and 23 of the-loops 22 and 22 respectively.

The compressed air entering said loops elevates the water through the pipes 25 and 25, the former emptying into the tank 15 of the upper level 11 while the latter exhausts the water throu h the pipe 38 at the mouth A branch pipe 37 from the air line 34 enof the mine. ny excess of water in the tanks 15 returns to the sump 13 by the over flow pipes 47 and 48 heretofore described.

The complete operation of the invention will be apparent from this detailed description thereof, it being seen that-the water loops fill with water simultaneously and upon the automatic opening of the valves 29 and 29 the compressed air simultaneously elevates the water from each level to that of the next higher level, however many levels may be provided, each supplied with a unit of the pumping system herein set forth. The tank 16 of all of the mine levels may be kept filled with water by a substantially continuous flow, the volume being controlled by the dimension of the water pipes and the force of the compressed air employed with the system.

While the form of the invention herein shown and described is what is believed to be the preferred embodiment thereof, it is nevertheless to be understood that various forlifs', modifications and arrangements of the'parts may be made without departing from the-spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A water lift for mines comprising a water tank at different levels in the mine, an upright water pipe communicating tank of the lower level and leading to a point adjacent the bottom of the mine, a looped water pipe communicating with the tank of the upper level and exhausting to atmosphere, a looped pipe emptying into the tank of the upper level and adapted to receive water from the tank of the lower level, a main compressed air pipe leading substantially to the lower level of the mine, a pipe leading from said air pipe downwardlv through said upright water pipe opening adjacent the lower open end thereof, an air reservoir adjacent each tank, a branch pipe from said main air pipe to each of said reservoirs, an outlet pipe from each end of the adjacently-positioned water pipe loop, and. controlling valves for the outlet pipes adapted for simultaneous opening and closing.

2. A water lift for mines comprising a water tank at diflerent levels in the mmes, an upright water pipe communicating tank of the lower level and leading to a point ad-- jacent the bottom of the mine, a looped water pipe communicating with the tank of the upper level and exhausting to atmosphere, a looped pipe emptying into the tank of the upper level and adapted to receive Water from the tank of the lower level, a main compressed air pipe leading substantially to the lower level of the mine, a pipe leading from said air pipe downwardly through said upright water pipe opening adjacent the lower open end thereof, an air reservoir adjacent each tank, a branchpipe from said main air pipe to each of said reservoirs, an outlet pipe'from'each end of the adjacently positioned water pipe loop, valves in said outlet pipes adapted to open between said air pipes and said loops and also to exhaust sald loops to atmosphere, operating leversfor said valves and means adapted for alternately shifting said levers simultaneously with the valves in their operative and inoperative positions.

A water lift for mines comprising a water tank at different levels in the mine, an upright water pipe communicating tank of the lower level and leading to a point adjacent the bottom of the mine. a looped water pipe communivating with the tank of the upper level and exhausting to atmosphere, a looped pipe emptying into the tank of the upper level and adapted to receive water from the tank of the lower level, a main compressed'air pipe leading substantially to the lower level of the mine, a pipe leading from said air pipe downwardly through sald upright water pipe opening tKlJtICQDt the lower open end thereof, an air reservoir adjacent each tank, a branch pipe from said main air pipe to each of said reservoirs, an outlet pipe from each end of the adjacently positioned water pipe loops, 'VHlXOS in said outlet pipes adapted to open between said air pipes and said loops and also to exhaust said loops to atmosphere, operating levers for said valves, a pull-cord attached to corresponding ends of said levers, a crank to which the free end of said cord is attached adapted for alternately pulling and releasing said cord and adjustable weights upon the other ends of said levers adapted to automatically return the levers to substantially vertical positions with the valves open to atmosphere.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

HERMAN AUGUST HERPST. 

